ElevatorLab Blog

Elevator maintenance is vital for reliability. Building owners are upgrading their technology for more reliable elevator performance. ​

​​Few machines are relied upon as frequently as elevators and escalators. As the very vessels that connect stories upon stories of buildings and floors, if an elevator is suddenly out of commission, that business or residential building has some serious problems.

That’s why elevator maintenance requirements are strict per state, with at least one mandatory inspection per year.

Well, the biggest elevator manufacturers in the world are all moving towards a technological shift that is going to save time, money, frustration, and improve elevator reliability.

​By using advanced technology, these companies argue they can reduce the time and resources it takes to fix a problem after it happens, and then eventually predict and prevent the next failure.

The result? A better, safer, more reliable and more affordable riding experience for residential and commercial clients alike. How are they all doing it? Through this new smart network of IoT: the Internet of Things.

Let’s look at four breakthrough elevator maintenance improvements and how IoT is being leveraged to improve cost and reliability in a new way today.

1. Kone and IBM’s Watson

​Named after “machine” in Finnish, KONE is a leading elevator maintenance and repair company throughout the world, working with lifts, escalators, and automated doors. Employing 52,000 employees, KONE is committed to improving urban life for all lift and elevator riders in major metropolitan centers.

​As a result, they are continually looking into innovations and leveraging technology in a smart way for their service provisions. That’s why they are turning their attention to none other than IoT: the Internet of Things.

Known as a system in which smart machines are all connected through the Internet, able to communicate with one another and provide feedback, KONE believes that IoT is an obvious future development for the world of elevators. That’s why they sought out the one and only Watson, by IBM, for a new kind of partnership.

2. ThyssenKrupp with Microsoft’s HaloLense

​Like KONE, ThyssenKrupp is a top 4 elevator maintenance and manufacturing firm throughout the world, continually working to revolutionize the elevator experience for patrons. Also aware that technology holds the keys to the future of elevator maintenance, this company is leveraging IoT, but with a different partner. They are turning their attention to none other than Microsoft.

With proactive elevator maintenance in place, this partnership has dramatically reduced the costs associated with elevator maintenance that 9-times-out-of-10 could have been prevented with the right intel.

​As a result, the HoloLens technology is reducing the average length of service calls by up to four times for clients.

​3. Schindler and GE’s Predix

​Located in Lucerne, Switzerland, Schindler Elevator is another major elevator maintenance company in the world looking to embed IoT into their maintenance services. With IoT’s technical capabilities enabling devices to work together in cohesion without human interaction or direction, this kind of elevator maintenance can predict problems before they unfold.

​By creating a platform that connects all Schindler manufactured elevators and escalators with the GE’s Predix, Schindler Ahead can detect problems in advance through sensor data, as well as analysis of Big Data that is accumulated through the IoT network.

​Additionally, elevator operations can monitor the current status of the elevators, reducing the downtime required to bring in fixes once an elevator breaks. As a result, their elevators now have a greater life-span, which means time and money savings for all clients.

Hoping to create a better customer service experience for trusted patrons, they have built their own IoT network, OtisOne, that will be able to monitor everything from elevator sensors to in-movement elevators.

​With OtisOne, sensors are placed in the elevator, along with an edge gateway that connects to Microsoft and the Azure Cloud. That data is then aggregated in a dashboard for Otis engineers and managers to sift through, alerting them of future repairs or problems before they happen.

​Accompanying their series of mobile apps that have been released over the last few years, like Tune, engineers will be able to sync their service schedules with real-time information synthesized through OtisOne.

Elevator Maintenance of the Future

​Although technology can be controversial in the world of social media and communication, one thing is for sure: it’s creating more efficient, safer, and more reliable elevator situations for people around the world.

​Using IoT, passengers can rest easy knowing their safety is being monitored in real-time, with a data exchange that is happening through an invisible network. It’s a beautiful change in the world of elevator maintenance; and one that has been desperately needed!

Compatibility with Your Elevators:

​Wondering which technology is best for your building? Wondering which technology is compatible with your equipment? ElevatorLab's vast database of elevator records will answer these questions for you. Find out more here.

Could you benefit from this technology? Comment below and let us know how.

Thanks for sharing this info! The maintenance costs of elevators have always been high. I’ve seen how people plan on installing an elevator but then don’t because they get scared away from these high maintenance costs. But elevators in commercial buildings has become a necessity so the building owners have to get it installed. However, some become lenient when it comes to elevators’ regular care and maintenance which is wrong.